


The Next Night

by WhiskersandQuiff



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Historical, Holocaust, Homophobia, M/M, Nazis, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-05-27 15:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15027404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiskersandQuiff/pseuds/WhiskersandQuiff
Summary: Germany in 1937 was a hard place for anyone "different". Dan just wanted to live his life, fall in love, and die surrounded by family, but his particular community was too "different". Dan found himself hiding, wishing for a better world, maybe even finding it in the eyes of an unlikely savior.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Holocaust Fic. I don't want to say everything that happens, of course, but I do want that to be clear. Most of the tags I put for the first chapter won't apply until later on in the fic, but I didn't want anyone to come in totally blind. I will definitely put warnings for each chapter as they come, as well. I'm not sure how many chapters there'll be yet, but I do have a plan and guarantee I'll be finishing this fic. 
> 
> I have done extensive research, and I know what I’m talking about, although some facts have been skewed for the purposes of the story. 
> 
> This is written for the phanfichallenge's 20k History Challenge (hopefully it gets to 20k lmao).
> 
> Many, many thanks to [pedestriansquirrel](http://pedestriansquirrel.tumblr.com/) and [auroraphilealis](http://auroraphilealis.tumblr.com/) for betaing! Y'all are fantastic and I love you <3

The Bird’s Nest was always lively on Friday nights. Everyone had just finished a long week of tedious work, or job searching, or the trials of a life spent lying to loved ones, and needed an escape from the hell that was Germany in 1937. They needed a place to be themselves again. A place where, figuratively, they didn’t have to hide, even though they were literally hiding. 

Dan had only been there a few times before; he’d always been afraid that the one time he came would be the one time the police conducted a raid and arrested everyone. The rumors were that people who _played for the other team_ were arrested, beaten, and then shipped off to who-the-hell-knows-where, probably never to be seen again. 

The few that came back were skin and bones, rarely making eye contact, and flinching at the slightest movement. 

But Dan had had enough of feeling like a complete outsider, so he had started frequenting The Bird’s Nest in the last month to meet other people like him - people attracted to the same sex. 

He had chosen this particular bar because, although it could get busy, it was relatively calm and well hidden. He worried less about getting caught here than at some of the other bars he’d heard of, especially after hearing some of the stories from the other patrons of The Bird’s Nest. They told tales of constantly running like hell to get away from the cops, trying to keep their heads down so their faces wouldn’t be remembered, as they fled some of the bigger, more prominent bars in the area. 

Yeah, the Bird’s Nest was raided far less than any of the other places.

That night, Dan arrived and spoke the coded sentence to the “store” at the front of the bar, and entered into what felt like a completely different world. The lighting was soft, gently caressing the faces of the men drinking and flirting. Soft, sweet music played in the background, courtesy of a pianist in the corner. Despite how many people there were, it wasn’t so loud that Dan couldn’t be heard when he ordered his drink or picked up a conversation. 

So far, he hadn’t been brave enough to let things go too far with anyone else at The Bird’s Nest any of the nights he’d stopped by. Sure, there had been flirting, maybe a little kissing, but nothing too intense. Finally, Dan had worked up enough courage (and sexual frustration) to decide that tonight would be different. 

There was an empty seat at the bar next to an attractive man with dark hair and pale skin, so Dan took it. 

“Is this seat taken?” he asked, trying to act indifferent and hoping the shake in his voice wasn’t too noticeable. 

The stranger glanced at Dan briefly, barely taking the time to notice him, before shaking his head. “It’s all yours, sweetheart.” His voice was deep and rough, which sent shivers down Dan’s spine. The man waved at the bartender to bring over two drinks as Dan sat down. 

When two shot glasses filled with clear liquid slid in front of them, Dan and the stranger clinked them together, and downed the alcohol in one. 

“So what’s your name, sweetheart?” the man asked, turning slightly so he was just barely facing Dan. 

Now, Dan could see a dark layer of stubble across the stranger’s jaw, and pretty blue eyes staring back at him. 

_Well, he’s attractive. Don’t fuck it up, Dan._

“I suppose I’ll tell you, since you were so nice and bought me a drink,” Dan said with a wink. “I’m Dan.”

One corner of the stranger’s lips quirked up slightly. “Well, Dan, what brings you to this fine establishment?”

_To have a sense of belonging in this rotten hell of a world? No, that’s too honest. Sex? Too forward. Play it cool._

Dan smiled shyly and leaned his elbows on the bar. “What, I don’t get a name in return? Maybe that’s why I’m here.”

The stranger chuckled. “You’re here just for the name of a stranger?”

Dan gave him big, innocent doe eyes. “Oh no, not just a stranger. A handsome stranger, perhaps. And maybe not just a name.”

“Well, if you came all the way here I might as well tell you. The name’s Grant.”

“Grant?” Dan acted intrigued. He leaned forward and put his hand on Grant’s forearm. “I’ve never met a Grant before! How interesting. Tell me about yourself, then.” Dan rested his head in the hand that was not currently touching Grant and smiled, trying to look like he was paying attention. 

And boy, did Grant tell Dan about himself. 

He talked for a solid half an hour about his dull job as a factory worker, about his shitty marriage to a woman he could never love, about his family’s expectations and desires and demands and _blah blah blah_.

Dan was becoming less attracted to him by the minute, but he had come here for a reason and damn if he wasn’t about to listen to some guy talk for this long and not get something out of it. 

Somehow, Dan managed not to fall asleep, and maybe even seem somewhat interested, humming and laughing in all the right places with little understanding tilts of his head thrown in. He didn’t say much himself, until finally, Grant leaned in and said what Dan had been waiting for the whole night. 

“So, Dan. What would you say about maybe getting out of the public eye and finding an empty spot in the back for the two of us?” Grant asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow suggestively. 

_About fucking time._

“Hmmm, I don’t know. Do you think you can handle it?” Dan let his gaze wander from Grant’s strong jawline, to his strong forearms, to his pale, thick neck. _Damn, is there anything that isn’t strong about this guy?_ His eyes flickered back up to meet Grant’s gaze. 

Grant leaned forward, mouth right next to Dan’s ear, and placed a hand on Dan’s knee. “Oh, definitely, sweetheart,” he whispered. 

Dan shivered and stood. “Let’s go then.”

_**Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone with Grant that night… if I hadn’t inadvertently found a place to hide.** _

Grant led Dan outside, and pressed Dan up against the back wall of a closet, shutting the door behind them once they were both inside. Grant found Dan’s body in the dark, his hands grasping Dan’s hips, and his mouth pressing insistently over Dan’s. 

Five minutes later, Dan found himself panting into Grant’s mouth between vicious kisses, body aching for more. It was as if his body knew that Dan was finally going to get what he wanted.

Things were just starting to get interesting, what with Grant’s hand creeping lower down Dan’s body, when it all seemed to go downhill

Dan had just moaned into the kiss, hoping to keep things moving along, something he’d been craving from _anyone_ for weeks now, when suddenly Grant pulled away. 

“Hey, come back,” Dan whined. He tugged on Grant’s loose collar, brow furrowed in confusion, and eyes snapping open in an attempt to make out what was going on.

“No, wait. Shh,” Grant replied, leaning away from Dan, and tilting his head closer to the closet door. 

Dan pouted, but did as he was told. He could hear some loud footsteps outside the closet, but didn’t think too much of it. He was too preoccupied to really care - until he heard someone starting to yell. 

“Run! It’s a raid!” The voice was panicked and shrill, its owner sounding genuinely terrified. 

Dan’s eyes widened. _A raid? Now, of all times?! Shit, I have to get out!_ He quickly started to use the hand already around Grant’s neck to reach around him in order to yank the door open, but Grant stopped him.

“No way, sweetheart, I’m out first,” he said, shoving Dan back farther into the closet and knocking him over. Dan fell hard on his ass with a solid _thud_ as Grant wrenched open the door, and slammed it shut behind him. 

_**I don’t feel too much anger for that, anymore. Phil told me he personally arrested a man with pale skin, stubble, and dark hair, so I guess shoving me out of the way didn’t help him too much in the long run.** _

For that one brief moment where the door was open, Dan heard yelling and shrieks of terror, and saw people running for any back door they could find, all of which only fueled his imagination. 

_What if they’re already here?_ he wondered. _What if the warning came too late? Oh my god, they’re beating people, aren’t they?! I have to get out, I have to run! If I stay here, I’ll be arrested and shipped somewhere horrible. I have to get out!_ Dan thought as he gaped up at the closed door from where he had fallen to the floor. Shocked at the cruelty of Grant’s self-preservation instincts, and paralyzed with a literal fear of death at the hands of an unknown evil, it took Dan a moment to gather himself enough to stand up. When he did, he went to the door and opened it just enough to see if the cost was clear. 

His body was thrumming with adrenaline even before he saw what lay behind the dark wood.

Stood directly in front of the door was a policeman, back to the closet. 

Dan stopped breathing and stared at the back of the policeman’s head. 

_Oh my god. I’m going to be arrested. I can’t run anywhere. Oh my god_ , he thought, panicked. His heart was racing, beating faster and faster as his imagination ran wild. Horrific images of what could happen to him flashed through his brain, some based on the stories he had heard and some exaggerated by his own imagination. He saw himself dragged away, not screaming and fighting like the people outside his closet, but limp and resigned, as if he had already given up long ago. Images of himself starving to death, covered in bruises from the officers that he imagined as heartless, cruel watchmen of his prison. He imagined smokestacks and bodies and all of it was connected to the light hair of the policeman that still stood _directly in front of Dan._

Somehow, he managed to quietly close the door and direct his focus to finding a hiding place in the closet, although it didn’t seem like it would do him much good. Where would he even hide? Under a pile of clothes? No matter what he did, there was a policeman literally right outside the door of the ridiculous closet Dan had chosen to snog a near-stranger. 

Carefully and quietly, Dan turned around to assess the situation. Unfortunately, it was pitch black in the closet, so he had no real idea of where he could hide. Dan began groping the walls and reaching for anything he might be able to hide behind. 

_Come on, come on, come on! There’s gotta be a box or a shelf I can use!_ Dan begged the universe. His hands brushed over broom handles and shelves nailed to the walls, over and over again, but it all felt useless. How could he possibly save himself from this when all he had was a stupid closet with nothing to hide himself behind?

Finally, he found what he hoped was a medium-sized box that he could move. The back right corner of the closet had a little bit of room between shelves that lined each wall, just enough for him to squeeze himself into. Dan snuck one foot in, then he wiggled his ass between the shelves, and then he managed to get the other foot to slide in. 

Sitting down felt more like barely controlled falling: first, Dan leaned his back against the wall and began to slide down it, then he moved his feet as far away from himself as he could manage, and then he quickly slid down the rest of the way. 

As soon as he was situated, he carefully reached out and pulled the box over to hopefully hide whatever could otherwise be seen of him. 

The space was so small that his arms were squished at his sides and he could have rested his chin on his knees easily. It was too cramped for him to stay there long with any hope of standing and running. Not that he would have any chance to run if he had to, stuck in the corner as he was. 

_God, I hope this works. What am I gonna do if it doesn’t?_

Deciding that worrying about his future would just send him spiraling out of control, Dan focused on listening to what was happening outside the closet. 

The screaming and shouting was a constant. Dan could also hear frantic footsteps as people tried to run away from the policemen. They sometimes got louder as someone ran towards his closet, which always made Dan flinch and stop breathing. The commanding voices of officers tried to control the crowd, threatening them with beatings. Cries of pain often accompanied these warnings. 

Dan heard calmer footsteps approach the closet, making him tense up and try to squish himself farther into the corner. Two voices muttered something indecipherable, and then footsteps moved away again. Just as Dan breathed a quiet sigh of relief, he heard the doorknob turning. He froze again, unable to think because of the absolute panic he felt, as the door opened and someone stepped into the closet, then closed the door behind them. 

As they entered, Dan heard louder yelling, this time less terrified and more authoritative, and caught a final brief glimpse of the light before the door blocked it all out again. It left Dan and the policeman in total, terrifying darkness and silence. 

All he could do was pray to a god he wasn’t even sure existed or cared: _Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have done extensive research, and I know what I’m talking about, although some facts have been skewed for the purposes of the story. I have taken college classes, written college essays, and spoken with people whose close family members were forced into the Nazis’ armed forces.
> 
> NEITHER DAN NOR PHIL IS A NAZI IN MY FIC OR IRL. If I had made them Nazis in this fic, it would be tagged, but they’re not so it isn’t. 
> 
> Please keep in mind this is a work of fiction and should not be viewed as factual information about Nazi Germany. If you want that kind of information, DM me and I’ll be happy to direct you to my sources.
> 
> Again, many thanks to the lovely [pedestriansquirrel](http://pedestriansquirrel.tumblr.com/) and [auroraphilealis](http://auroraphilealis.tumblr.com/) for betaing! I love you both <3

_**I was so afraid this was the end for me. I was sure of it. Just like all the awful stories, I would be sent away to God-knows-where and suffer until I died. I still don’t know how we managed to keep me safe…** _

As Dan trembled in the corner of the closet, he heard the soft _scuff-click scuff-click_ of the officer’s boots on the hardwood floor. The sound stopped, placing the officer somewhere near the middle of the small room. 

Dan couldn’t breathe. 

_This is it, oh god, this is it. The Gestapo is here, right in front of me, and he’s about to take me away. They’re so ruthless, I’ll never survive. Oh god, there’s no way out, no way-_

“I can hear you shaking,” said a quiet, deep voice. 

Dan froze, his hands clenched tightly together around his shins, and his chin digging into his knees. Thoughts of all kind flew through his mind, ranging from _I’m about to die_ to _Maybe there’s a chance I can sneak past him_ to _Why did I have to come here tonight of all nights_ , but he couldn’t focus on any of them closely enough to carry out the thoughts. 

_Scuff-click scuff-click scuff-click click_. The footsteps stopped right in front of Dan’s hiding place. 

Dan’s breath caught, and he bit down hard on his lip to keep from making any noise.

_Shit, no, no, no, turn around! Leave!_

A torch flicked on suddenly, blinding Dan. He hissed in a breath and put up a hand to shield his eyes. 

He couldn’t see the officer, but he knew he had been found. 

“Please, don’t hurt me!,” he cried. “I’ll come quietly, please! I promise I’ll never go to a bar like this again, I’ll marry a woman and have strong German children, just please let me go!” Dan babbled hopelessly. Empty promises and desperate pleas tumbled out of his mouth like a waterfall. 

The light wobbled as the officer reached out for him, and Dan flinched away. He tried his hardest to melt into the wall, flailing his arms slightly to try to find enough purchase to _just get away somehow_. But there was no where for him to go. There was nowhere for him to hide.

“No! Please! Please let me go! Please! No!” he cried, his voice louder still, his promises turning into pleas for his life.

The officer grunted, and spoke over Dan.

“Shhh, stop! I’m trying to help you, but you need to be quiet!” he hissed. “I’ve sent the man that was outside the door away, but someone could walk past at any second. You need to trust me,” the officer whispered frantically. He crouched down to Dan’s level, torch shaking wildly with the movement. 

Dan stopped babbling for a moment, eyes wide, though he kept trying to back away from the officer.

_If I stay quiet nobody else will know I’m still here, and then maybe this man will just have his way with me and then kill me_ , Dan thought wildly. _If I keep yelling, someone will come and take me to my death._

_I’m going to die. Either way, I’m going to die._ Dan started breathing harder, still pushing himself as far back into the corner as he could. _I’m going to die in this shitty bar. If I don’t try to get away, this man could do anything he wants to me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop him. He could touch me or kiss me or make me do god-knows-what for him and there would be nothing I can do._

_I’d rather be killed._

“ _No!”_ Dan screeched, terror filling him anew. There was no way in hell he was going to let this man get away with raping him. _“_ Somebody help! He-“

Suddenly, the officer slapped a hand over Dan’s mouth, muffling his cries and cutting off his pleas for help.

Dan began to thrash violently. He desperately grabbed at the hand covering his mouth, trying to pry it away so he could be heard. High-pitched screams of terror left his throat, the sound muted but still strong. His legs kicked out as best they could, mostly just kicking the boxes and shelves surrounding him. It didn’t matter if Dan could actually throw the man off him if someone could hear the ruckus and come running.

“Kid, I’m trying to save your life!” the officer growled. “I’m going to get you out of here and I’m going to keep you safe, but I need you to stop _right now_ ,” he hissed again, this time his voice sounding far more serious, and just this side of desperate. He was leaning forward farther now, putting some weight into his hold over Dan’s mouth to brace himself.

The words were not reassuring, and Dan kept struggling, now attempting to bite the hand while screaming.

_Keep me safe? Get me out? He must think I’m stupid. I know he’s about to rape me or kill me or worse. He’s lying. I can’t trust him. I don’t care how genuine he acts, I will_ not _let him take me._

The torch lowered a little as Dan flailed, just enough so that Dan could faintly see the man’s pale skin and gleaming eyes. He could also sort of see a hat, but it didn’t look anything like a Gestapo hat. It looked fairly… common- average, even- for the hat of the “secret police”. 

As the light stabilized again, Dan could tell that the hat was definitely not the secret police. It was too round, and it looked more like a bowl than a hat.

Dan stopped screaming and kicking, but kept his hand on the officer’s arm. Could it be possible… the man was speaking the truth?

He stared at the officer warily. 

_I don’t think he’s Gestapo. Maybe I should hear him out, at least…_

Hesitantly, Dan nodded his understanding, and the officer carefully removed his hand. 

“Thank you,” the officer sighed, clearly relieved.

“You’re- you’re not Gestapo?” Dan whispered cautiously. 

The officer shook his head. “No, I’m just local police.” He glanced back towards the closet door for a moment, as if the real Gestapo would barge in any second. “The Gestapo makes us do their dirty work sometimes. I see it as an opportunity to save people.” He gave Dan a look that Dan took to mean _People like your sorry ass._ “Now, are you in, or do I really have to arrest you?” 

_Save people? That can’t be true. Why would anyone try to save someone like me?_

“Why are you saving us?” Dan challenged quietly. Mostly, he was just stalling for time, but he also couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea of an officer in this regime being kind to anyone. He genuinely wanted to know.

The officer gave Dan a rueful smile. “Let’s just say that not everyone agrees with our charismatic leader, and not everyone is a perfect German.”

_That was bold. People have been killed for less direct statements. He’s either truly against the Reich, or he’s trying very hard to trick me._ Dan stared into what he could see of the man’s face, trying to figure out if this man could really be trusted. 

_Why would he take this lie so far? At this point, he’ll get in trouble for wasting time if someone comes in. Is he trying to get me to lower my guard so he can use me and throw me away? But he seems so sincere about trying to save me..._

Dan recalled the tales of people being arrested and sent away. Tales of people who survived, only to return home as empty shells, flinching at the slightest noise or sudden movement. He shuddered, then took a deep breath.

_If he’s really not Gestapo, maybe I’ll have a shot… what do I have to lose?_

“I’m in,” Dan whispered. “What do I do?”

The officer smiled slightly. “That’s the spirit,” he praised. “I need you to stay here, stay quiet. Don’t move until I come back, do you understand? I’ll keep the other officers out of here in the meantime, alright? I promise, I’ll keep you safe and I _will_ get you out.”

_How is staying here supposed to help me at all? If he found me so easily, surely someone else can, too. How much authority does this man even have, if he thinks he can keep the others out until he’s ready to come back? Why the hell am I trusting him when I don’t know him and his job is to send me to people who will literally end my life?_

_But what choice do I have?_

Dan nodded tentatively. 

The officer nodded back.

“Good. I’m Phil. What’s your name?”

Dan stared, distrust clear in the way he kept his body as far away as possible. 

_Should I really tell him my name? What if he turns on me?_

Dan attempted to shuffle back farther to give himself room to think. He couldn’t move more than he already had, so he tried to take comfort in the feeling of the wall at his back. 

_But then again, I still have nothing to lose. If I’m trusting him with my life, I might as well trust him with my name._

“Dan,” he eventually muttered.

The officer- _Phil_ \- offered Dan another smile, this time more genuine and understanding.

“Well, Dan,” he began, “don’t worry. You’ll make it out.” Phil reached out with the hand not holding the torch and brushed his fingers against Dan’s cheeks gently. 

Dan flinched.

“Try to keep the tears away,” Phil murmured, dropping his hand. “There’s no use crying, now, and you’ll look less suspicious later.”

Dan blinked at the words, then reached up to touch his face. 

_When did I start crying?_ He wondered. 

Dan rubbed away the tear tracks as best he could, watching carefully as Phil stood to leave. The man fumbled with his torch a little as he straightened up, but the light remained on Dan’s face.

“These raids usually take an hour more to finish up, and then I’ll have to leave the building for a short time, and then I’ll be back,” Phil explained, turning a fierce look onto Dan. “Under no circumstances do I want you to leave this room without me. If it seems like it’s been too long, you’re probably wrong.” Phil asserted this with a final nod of his head. Then he dusted off his jacket, and turned and walked towards the door. 

The torch turned with him, leaving Dan trembling under the weight of darkness. 

Panic bubbled up in him again as shivers ran down his spine. _It’s too dark. I can’t stay in the dark. I can’t see, oh my god, no, please!_

“Wait!” Dan blurted before he could stop himself. 

Phil turned to look at him again, simply raising an eyebrow in question. 

Tentatively, Dan asked, “Could you- maybe- leave the torch?” 

Phil furrowed his brow.“What for? You have no reason to turn it on once I leave, and any light from under the door would be suspicious.”

_But I’m afraid of the dark,_ Dan thought. _Especially now. It feels like the walls are closing in but leaving me exposed at the same time. I need that light to keep me grounded._

Dan racked his brain for a better excuse than a pointless fear. Fear would have to be his new normal. 

“Yes, but if someone comes in, maybe I could hit them over the head with it and then run away,” Dan suggested, already knowing it was flimsy.

Phil stared at Dan, obviously not buying the excuse. Both of them knew that, if anyone other than Phil came in, Dan would never be free again. He clearly wasn’t a strong enough fighter to avoid an officer, and he probably wouldn’t be able to bring himself to hurt someone else, anyway. Dan would get beat up, arrested, and sent away.

But rather than tell Dan off for being a ridiculous coward, Phil’s lips quirked up in a sad smile. 

“Sure, Dan,” he said softly. Phil crossed the small space of the closet again, and handed Dan the torch, then walked back to the door. Before Phil could leave, he glanced back at Dan one more time, hand on the doorknob. “Good luck,” he whispered. “And I’ll be back soon.” 

Phil waited for Dan to switch the light off, then he slipped out the door and walked away.

_Scuff-click scuff-click scuff-click…_

Dan kept the torch off, but held it tightly in his hands. He knew he shouldn’t turn it on, just in case someone could see a glimmer of light outside the closet door, so he had to satisfy himself in the comfort that, at the very least, he was holding something that could have given him light if he hadn’t been trying to hide.

His thoughts began to wander, touching on his current predicament.

_I’m trusting Phil, but he’s out there, pretending not to know I’m here while he arrests people I’ve seen before, maybe even talked to once. His job is to send people to their deaths, to places so horrible that nobody can fathom what happens there. But he chose to save me. Is he saving others, too? Are there other closets with men hiding away, waiting anxiously for Phil’s return? If he saves anyone else, will he forget about me?_

That made Dan start thinking about his future. He wanted to avoid those thoughts, since the idea of what his life was about to become seemed too horrifying, but he found himself falling into a spiral of unpleasantness in his own head.

_What if Phil never comes back? What if someone else finds me first? I can’t get arrested- that’s a death sentence! I’ll have to use the torch, I guess, but I really hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t think I’m strong enough or fast enough to be able to hit a police officer and knock him out. Even if I do manage that, what then? Steal his uniform? These are local police officers, so there’s not a chance that they’d see me and assume I belong. I’d have to run, but I don’t know if that’ll be possible, either. My legs are already cramping up here. It’s just like when we used to play hide-and-seek back home, but more terrifying._

With the thought of home, Dan managed to successfully distract himself from his future, although this new line of thought wasn’t much better.

_I miss home. I wonder what my parents are doing right now, and what they’d do if I get caught. Would they be told about me? Would they know that I got arrested at a bar like this? I never got the chance to tell them myself, so it’d be a shock. I bet they’d be disgusted and horrified. They already support the Nazis and all they do, so they’d turn against someone like me in a heartbeat. Who would want a son who loves other men? They’d think the police were doing them a favor. Maybe it’s better I get caught now so I don’t have to face them later, when I fail to get a girlfriend and then a wife. When I never have kids. At least I wouldn’t have to see their disappointment…_

Dan was clutching the torch so tightly his fingers were numb. He was shaking, unable to control his body in the face of such strong emotions of guilt, fear, and regret. He didn’t want to be a disappointment to his family, but he didn’t want to die. 

He cursed his decision to come to The Bird’s Nest tonight, cursed the Nazis, cursed himself for his attraction to the wrong sex. Just hours ago, Dan had been at peace with his homosexuality, firmly believing it was not his fault and there was nothing he could do to change it, so he might as well live into it. Now, however, in the face of persecution and death, he couldn’t help but feel like he should have tried harder to change himself. After all, he was only in this mess because of his attraction and his decision to act on it. Very few people approved, and Dan had known that. He had known that it was illegal. But he had tried anyway.

_You idiot. This is all your fault_ , Dan thought to himself. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, and he rolled his eyes at himself. _Stop it! Crying will only make this whole thing worse and you won’t be able to fix your mistakes if you can’t get a grip._

The internal torture went on for what felt like forever. Back and forth, Dan’s mind tried to convince him that he was about to die, and then he’d try to think up plans so he could live, then he’d remember how unnatural he was while he tried to fight back and tell himself that he couldn’t do anything to change who he loved. 

The noise from outside the closet got quieter and quieter the longer Dan hid. The screams and shouts of terror were overpowered entirely by authoritative commands to _Stop right there_ or _Kneel_ or _Get off the floor and take it like a man, fairy._ Dan mostly ignored the noises, half because he was too caught up in his own terror, and half because he had the tendency to flinch violently at every slur called. He was worried his flinching would knock something off a shelf and lead to his discovery. 

On the one hand, Dan was relieved when he noticed the yelling had almost entirely stopped. If the yelling was done, there must not have been much left for the officers to do. Phil would come back soon and rescue him, hopefully, and Dan could forget this ever happened. 

On the other hand, the quiet outside the closet meant that the police would be doing their last few sweeps of the bar, hunting down any remaining patrons in every nook and cranny. Dan could easily be found and taken away in this time. It was also quiet enough to let Dan’s thoughts warp and twist into even more horrible scenarios and futures that he desperately hoped would never come true. 

Shivering in fear in the corner of the closet, Dan waited for something to happen, for the door to open and set him free, or set in motion the last days of his life. 

_Scuff-scuff-click-click scuff-scuff-click-click scuff-scuff-click-click_ … Two sets of footsteps approached. Dan’s heartbeat quickened impossibly. 

_Two people? Did Phil betray me, or did something happen to him? What’s going to happen to me? They’re going to find me, oh god, oh god-_

The closet door opened with a long groan. Two backlit figures stood in the light of the doorway, and Dan cowered backwards. He couldn’t see their faces, so he had no way of knowing who it was.

“I found one in here earlier, and left him so he wouldn’t be a nuisance to the rest of us,” a voice that sounded like Phil’s told another officer. 

“Where is he, then?” a different voice asked.

Someone stepped into the closet, and moved closer to Dan’s corner. As they approached, Dan felt himself begin to panic more and more. 

_What is Phil doing?! Did he sell me out? What’s the point of that, he could’ve just arrested me earlier! Why’d he get my hopes up so much like that?_ _I need to do something and save myself._

Steeling himself, Dan tightened his grip on the torch, and began to raise it above his head to hit the person who was coming closer to him. It wasn’t until the last minute that Dan realized it was Phil for sure, but that didn’t stop him from his determination to do _something_.

Phil noticed Dan’s raised arm at the same time as Dan noticed Phil, and his eyes widened. He reached out and ripped the torch from Dan’s hands, shaking his head as frantically as he could without the other officer noticing. Confused, Dan allowed Phil to take hold of the light, and did his best to remain quiet. 

Phil bent down then, and grabbed Dan firmly by the collar, hoisting him up to drag him from the closet. Dan yelped in fear, horrified that his trust, his moment of hesitation, had been all for naught.

As Phil picked Dan up, however, his lips came right up to Dan’s ear. 

“Trust me,” Phil whispered carefully. “I know what I’m doing.”

_What choice do I have?_ Dan thought, wilting into Phil’s hold. _It’s trust you, or get locked away._

Dan allowed Phil to roughly yank him into the light of the hallway in the bar, deciding not to put up a fight. Part of that decision was because of Dan’s dwindling hope, but it was mostly the realization that he and Phil were the same height, which would make it very difficult for Dan’s scrawny form to win a physical fight _anyway._

Despite how Dan’s legs felt weak and unstable after sitting in the cramped corner of the closet for so long, his legs managed to hold his weight enough to keep him standing, but walking would be difficult, just as he had feared. 

_I guess there’s no chance for me to run_.

“Here he is,” Phil grunted, shaking Dan a little for emphasis. He’d pulled Dan’s arms behind his back, keeping his hands together so Dan couldn’t move enough to break himself free. “I’ll lead him out while you take another look around for any other stragglers,” Phil declared authoritatively. 

The other officer, who Dan could now see, nodded in response. “Yes, sir,” he replied with a salute. Then, he walked off down the hallway to complete his orders.

_He was supposed to save me! What is he doing? I need to get out of here. I can’t let him arrest me._ Dan pulled hard at Phil’s hold, frantically trying to escape. _I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him! I’m such an idiot! What am I going to do now? What is_ he _going to do now?_

“Let go of me!” Dan cried, still attempting to wrench his arms free of Phil’s grasp.

“Shut up,” Phil snarled threateningly. He pushed Dan forward, forcing him to walk away from the closet.

“What are you going to do to me?” asked Dan, his voice quivering in fear. 

“You’re under arrest, fag,” Phil barked loudly, making Dan flinch. In a quieter voice, he said, “Don’t ask questions, just follow my lead.” As Phil spoke, he dragged Dan down the hallway to one of the exits.

A few other officers littered the building, but they took no notice of Dan or Phil. It was a typical scene during a raid- a policeman leading a terrified prisoner to the cart that would take the group of prisoners away. 

Except Phil didn’t lead Dan to the already-packed cart. As soon as they exited the building, Phil turned left instead, and rushed down the alleyway, away from the street, shoving Dan along in front of him. He whispered frantic instructions to Dan as they moved.

“Here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to leave you here, and you’re going to walk four blocks straight ahead, then hide near the rubbish in an alley on the right. I’m going to make sure everything is done here, then I’ll come back for you.” 

Dan did his best to nod his head in understanding, even as the words whirled past his head so fast he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to remember them all. Would he end up in the right alley? What if Phil couldn’t find him? 

Phil kept talking. “Unfortunately, at least three other officers could have seen your face, so you’ll have stay in hiding for a bit. At least for tonight, I’ll take you and hide you in my flat. We can talk more then, but for now you need to _go_. I promise, everything will be okay if you do what I tell you to do.” Phil said all this in a rumble of a voice as he continued to push Dan towards the end of the alleyway. 

“The important thing to remember right now is that you cannot run. If you start to run, someone will chase after you. As it is, the only people that saw your face will be exiting on the other side of the building, so no one will be able to tell you were in the bar unless you’re captured. Understand?”

Dan nodded frantically. _How often does he do this? He seems to have experience with enough past failures to have perfected this method._

“How long should it be before we meet up?” Dan asked, trying to keep the tremble from his voice. He was still running high on adrenaline and fear.

Phil stopped walking, keeping Dan close. He turned and looked Dan in the eye, slight concern seeping into his expression despite a wall of intense focus. “Hey,” he murmured softly. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep. You _will_ be safe.” Phil stared intently into Dan’s eyes, trying to see if Dan really believed him. Apparently, he decided what he saw was close enough to what he was looking for, as he answered Dan’s question. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes. Now _go_.”

Dan slipped his trembling hands into the pockets of his trousers as soon as Phil released them, trying to appear calm, then he began to walk straight down the street in front of him, never looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also post to my Tumblr! See the rest of my fics [here](https://rosaflagephil.tumblr.com/fics-masterlist)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been literally over a month since I updated! Life got crazy but I'm still dedicated to finishing this fic, I promise lol  
> Thank you again to [auroraphilealis](http://auroraphilealis.tumblr.com/) for betaing!

_**I was anxious and afraid, as I had been for so long already, but now I was also venturing out alone into the perilous night for the first time since the raid began. There was nowhere to hide until I got to the alley. I was in the open, exposed, liable to arrest at any moment for any reason an officer could think of. It still astounds me to think of how lucky I was that night...** _

In the poorer quarter of the city, the government never bothered to use taxes to pay for street lamps, especially when that money could be used for the rich, or for the military, or really anyone _but_ the people who needed it the most. As a result, there was very little light on the street. Only a few lamps were lit, but they were old and far-between, the burning kerosene providing no resistance against the blanket of darkness. Pockets of shadows remained nearly entirely unbroken, and it made it nearly impossible to see a threat before it was too late.

It made Dan walk slowly, his eyes darting around anxiously for any signs of trouble.

He vaguely saw what he assumed was a police officer (surely no one else would be out here this late) walking towards the bar on the opposite side of the street and felt his hands tremble violently in his pockets, but he kept his head down and tried to maintain an indifferent air.

_Just keep walking, Dan. Don’t look him in the eyes because then he’ll_ really _notice you. Remember what Phil said- no one will know you were in the bar unless you’re captured, so don’t do anything to get yourself captured._

The officer turned the corner to enter the bar, and Dan let out a shaky breath, some of the tension in his shoulders releasing. 

_See? You’re fine. Keep going. This is the second street here, I think_.

Dan carefully looked back the way he’d come to confirm how far he’d gone. 

_Definitely the second street. Only two more after this, and then you’ll see the alley where you can wait for Phil. You can do this._

The farther he walked, the closer Dan got to a chance to hide again.The farther he walked, the closer Dan got to whatever the next step in his journey was.

Would he go home? Return to his life as if nothing had happened? Would that even be _possible_?

But hiding was almost a comforting thought. It had worked well enough for him so far tonight, after all. On the other hand, it was still just as terrifying as the rest of the night had been. When he hid in the alley, he would have nothing to do but sit and wait for some cop to come save him yet again.

_How long has it been? Three minutes? Five? When Phil said it would be fifteen minutes, did he mean from the time I get to the alley, or from the time I left? What do I do if he’s not there in fifteen minutes?_

_What do I do if he_ is _there?_

As Dan crossed the third street, he felt himself begin to dread arriving at the alley. He wanted to slow his pace so he would arrive as late as possible, but he also knew that the longer he was out in the open, the more likely he was to be caught. But the alley meant there was nothing he could do but wait. It meant he was at the mercy of Phil’s schedule, which didn’t seem all that stable at the moment.

_Why should I even trust him? He got me out of the bar, sure, but what will he do with me next? He knows my face and my first name, but nothing else, so maybe I should just go home. But he must know something I don’t. Maybe there are officers sweeping this area of the city and they arrest anyone they see._

Dan had seen raids before. Usually they happened during the day, and it was usually a raid on the Jews, but the police _always_ seemed to set up a perimeter to question anyone who left the area during the raid. It was obvious they were looking for anyone who might try and sneak away. Dan was terrified that without Phil, he’d be caught at one of these perimeters. At least with Phil, there would be that extra level of protection for him.

Dan felt the frustration and fear building in him again. There was nothing he could do to save himself without following the instructions of a _police officer_ , of all people. Someone who was supposed to arrest him was somehow the only man that Dan could trust right now, but there was no evidence that Dan _should_ trust him. And if Dan didn’t trust this officer, he was likely to be arrested, anyway. Surely, no one would believe he hadn’t been at the bar if they caught him in the perimeter alone.

Nothing felt like a good option, but Dan had to stick with the one that had proven reliable so far.

He crossed the fourth street, and began looking for an alley.

A few meters away from the curb, an opening appeared to Dan’s right.

The alley was narrow, only about a meter wide, and almost no light was going into the space. There were no gas lamps to keep away the darkness, so what little light could be found came from the sky. 

Dan glanced back the way he’d come, but saw no one.

_Back to hiding, now. Phil should be here soon._

He stepped into the alley and immediately gagged at the stench.

_He did say to hide behind some rubbish. I suppose I found it_.

A few careful steps later and Dan found the source of the smell: a huge, rotting pile of garbage blocking the path to the end of the alley. Flies buzzed around food wrappers and glass bottles, and Dan was fairly certain he could faintly see a puddle of liquid oozing out of the bottom of the pile that smelled suspiciously like vomit.

_Lovely_ , he thought sarcastically, gagging again. He covered his nose and began breathing through his mouth to try to protect himself from the smell.

Glancing back at the opening of the alley, Dan decided he’d gone far enough to stay hidden, since he hadn’t been able to see the rubbish from the entrance, so he crouched down to wait for Phil.

_How long has it been now? It must have been at least ten minutes since I left the bar, I’m sure. But I still don’t know if that means Phil will be here in five, or if I still need to wait the full fifteen. If he’s not here in fifteen minutes, what do I do? Is it the same as when he left me in the closet and he told me to just keep waiting? And when he gets here, what will happen then? He said something about taking me to his flat for the night, but what about after that? The officers that saw my face might recognize me if I try to go back to my life, even if I can make it to my own flat._

Dan sighed quietly. 

_If only I hadn’t come to this awful bar._

The wait for Phil passed by agonizingly slowly. The minutes crawled by as Dan worried and wondered, leaving him with no sense of how long had really passed. It could have been five minutes, ten minutes, a full half hour, but it felt never-ending.

Dan worried that the smell from the rubbish would attach to his clothes and make him suspicious when Phil took him away. He worried that Phil wouldn’t come back, or that Phil would lead him somewhere just as horrible as if he’d been arrested. 

He worried what his life was about to become.

_Maybe I’ll be alright. I have to avoid a few police officers, but they have no proof of my behavior. I haven’t_ actually _been sleeping around, and nobody saw me kissing Grant, so they’d have no reason to arrest me. I have to make it through tonight, then I can return to my own flat and my own life and pretend women hold my interest like men do, just like a good German man would. I’ll be alright, if I can just avoid the-_

A soft sound broke through Dan’s thoughts.

_Scuff-click, scuff-click, scuff-click_ …

Dan felt his heart start to race again.

_Those footsteps sound like they’re from the boots of the police, but do they belong to Phil, or some man who’s going to find me and drag me away to die?_

Dan glanced around himself, trying to find something to pick up to be able to fight should the need arise, but there was nothing. His only hope would come from his own fists and the darkness of the alleyway.

The footsteps got louder as they approached, and Dan felt himself tensing, coiling into himself like a spring ready to jump at whoever might find him.

_Scuff-click, scuff-click, scuff-_

“Dan?” whispered a voice as a vague figure appeared in the entrance to the alley.

Dan held his breath. He thought it was Phil, finally here to take him somewhere safe, but he couldn’t be sure; Dan had only heard Phil talk a few times, and he had been under a substantial amount of stress every time he’d heard Phil’s voice so far. 

So Dan waited for further proof that it really _was_ Phil rather than someone trying to arrest him.

_But what if Phil still_ is _trying to arrest me? He could look like a hero if he catches a stray that ran away, even if he technically let me go at first. Maybe this is all just a ruse for Phil to get a promotion._

The figure’s head turned slightly, checking both sides of the street once more, then shuffled into the alley.

“It’s alright, it’s Phil.” 

The figure finally got close enough for Dan to make out the pale skin reflecting off the face just well enough for him to confirm that it was, in fact, Phil.

Dan heaved a deep breath, partially in relief and partially to prepare himself for the next stage in his journey.

“What now?” Dan asked, slowly standing up from next to the rubbish. 

Now that Phil could tell where Dan was, he walked more purposefully to stand in front of Dan.

Dan took an involuntary step backwards because of Phil’s pace and sudden proximity, feeling the pressure of a wall pressing into his back.

“I’ve completed the work assigned to me, so I’m free to go home. There are still officers patrolling the perimeter to catch anyone who might have run away before we arrived, so it would be safest for you to come with me. I know how to avoid them.” Phil glanced back down the alley as if to make sure no one was about to enter at the other end. “I’ll take you to my flat, at least for the night, because I don’t want you to walk anywhere else alone tonight. Alright?”

Dan nodded carefully, eyes shifting between Phil’s face, nightstick, and the entrance of the alley.

_I really don’t have a choice. I just have to hope that this will end up in my favor._

“Good.” Phil nodded once. He took a step back towards the entrance of the alley, looking around for signs of life on the street. Apparently he found none, as he turned back to Dan and waved him forward.

“Come on, then. The sooner we get moving, the better.” 

_The sooner we get moving, the sooner I can put this all behind me_.

Dan took a deep breath, and walked towards Phil, the street, and freedom.

The street was empty when they stepped out together, side by side, although that wasn’t really a surprise. It must have been the early hours of morning by now, for one, and the raid of the bar would have chased away any remaining traffic. 

Dan still found himself relieved that they were alone.

_Should I be relieved? This man could still do anything he wants to me._

“Stop looking around so much. Keep your head facing forward or tilted towards me like we’re having a conversation,” Phil instructed. 

Dan’s head snapped forward. 

_Have I been looking around? I hadn’t noticed_ …

“Glancing around like that is suspicious. You’re clearly checking to see if anyone else is around constantly, and you look paranoid. I know you’re anxious and afraid, but you have to trust me. I _will_ get you through the night.” 

Dan could feel Phil’s eyes on his face, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet them.

_Trust. “Trust me,” he says. I don’t even know him._

Dan’s anxiety couldn’t be contained. He managed to keep his head facing forward rather than on a constant swivel, managed to keep his shaking hands hidden in his pockets as casually as possible, managed not to break out into a run as his brain screamed at him to _get out_.

But his brain would not be quieted.

With every step, Dan was reminded of where he was and who he was with. The sound of his own footsteps next to the constant _scuff-click scuff-click_ he had begun to associate with police officers, danger, and an unknown, horrible death filled his ears and fueled the anxiety, the panic.

_Eyes forward, keep walking_ , he thought to himself. _It can’t be that much farther._

They walked in silence, not wanting to alert anyone in the area of their presence. 

Dan so wished that this wasn’t his life. That he hadn’t decided to go to The Bird’s Nest tonight, that he hadn’t been born a _defect_ , an _outcast_ , an _abomination_. That he had fallen in love with an Aryan woman. That he could be a good German, just like everyone expected, _demanded_ , of him. 

That he didn’t have to live in fear of the unknown, facing the consequences of his own decisions and actions at the side of a man who _still might arrest him_.

That he didn’t have to walk silently down a street next to a dangerous stranger, trembling in fear and running from his own identity. 

His heart _ached_ for a better world, a better life. A simpler life.

_Why couldn’t I have just been_ normal _?_

The silence beat down heavily on Dan’s mind, forcing him to keep worrying, worrying, worrying as they walked by street after street.

Time seemed to have disappeared somewhere between when Dan had arrived at The Bird’s Nest and now. Dan had no way of knowing how long he and Phil walked, how long he’d hid, or how long since the raid had begun, but it felt like he’d walked into the bar days ago. The Dan that had walked into The Bird’s Nest earlier that night already seemed a lifetime away from the Dan trudging along, the stench of garbage practically attached to his skin, desperate for a redo.

“Keep your head down; you’re crying again,” muttered Phil.

Dan flinched at the sound, but did as he was told and trained his eyes on the ground. He pulled a shaky hand from the pocket of his trousers and wiped at his cheeks, frustrated to find the wetness there.

_Stop crying, dammit, it won’t help! It will only make things worse for you if you’re spotted!_

Berating himself only served to cause more tears to fall, although Dan was conscious of them this time. 

_No, Dan, stop! They’ll find you! They’ll know! Stop crying, you piece of shit, this is going to get you killed!_

When a sob bubbled its way out of Dan’s throat, he felt a hand latch onto his arm and _pull_ , dragging him to the side. Another hand slapped over Dan’s mouth, muffling his instinctive cry of fear.

His back met the wall at the corner of a dark building, and he whimpered.

Phil’s eyes burned into Dan’s own, a slight panic flaring up in Phil’s expression.

Dan felt himself cringing backwards, trying to put as much distance between him and the officer as he could. He flailed his arms and legs in an attempt to break free, but there was no escaping the man’s grasp.

_No, no, no, this is it. This is what I was afraid of, what I knew would happen if I came with him! I should have let them arrest me. I need to get away-_

Dan thrashed violently, cries and shouts rising up in his throat again.

Phil roughly caught both of Dan’s wrists and pinned them to the wall above Dan’s head with one hand, then slapped his other back across Dan’s mouth.

“Dan, I need you to stop fighting me, and I need you to _calm down,_ ” Phil whispered frantically. 

_Stop fighting? Calm down? Like fucking hell, you lying, evil bastard!_ Dan thought, jerking his arms again. He remained pinned to the wall, but glared defiantly into the officer’s eyes.

Phil stared back with wide, honest eyes. Dan couldn’t tell if the colorful irises comforted him or disturbed him. Phil’s brows were wrinkled in concern, and he spoke in an earnest whisper.

“I will _not_ hurt you. I _know_ you’re scared, and I _know_ you don’t think you can trust me. There’s nothing I can do to make you feel better right now, and there’s nothing I can do to make you trust me beyond what I’ve already tried to do for you. But if you let your emotions run wild, this will not end well for either of us. We’re almost to my flat. It’s only two streets away, alright? _Please_ let me help you,” Phil pleaded desperately. 

Dan stopped thrashing, realizing it would do him no good anyway, but stood firm, his muscles taut. He scanned Phil’s face skeptically in an attempt to determine the man’s true intentions.

_He hasn’t hurt me yet. He was rough, but he hasn’t hurt me._

Dan stared into Phil’s eyes, but still only found sincerity. 

_I don’t know him well enough to know for certain, but he might be telling the truth. He might really want to help me, after all of this. Either way, I can’t get home without running the risk of getting caught, so I have to calm down._

The tears were still streaming out of Dan’s eyes, worsened by the stress Phil had just added by pulling him aside so suddenly, but Dan made an effort to steady his breathing. He closed his eyes and focused on clearing his mind, only thinking about the immediate future.

He would indicate to Phil that he was calm, then they would continue walking. They’d arrive at Phil’s flat, Dan would stay for one night, and then leave for his own flat the next morning. 

_But then what? What about the officers who saw your face?_

Dan shook his head to himself, clearing the doubts and concerns. 

_Walk to the flat. Get out of the open. Walk to the flat. Get out of the open._

Finally, Dan opened his eyes and nodded at Phil.

Tentatively, Phil released Dan and slowly backed away.

Dan wiped the remaining moisture from his face, then let his arms fall to his sides. 

_Walk to the flat. Get out of the open._

He nodded again, then made eye contact with Phil again.

“Let’s go,” Dan mumbled, voice shaking. 

Phil’s eyes scanned his face as if to make sure Dan wouldn’t have another outburst, then gave a curt nod, features hard and determined. He turned and continued walking down the street. Dan took a deep breath, and followed close behind.

_Walk to the flat. Get out of the open. They’ll have a harder time catching you if you’re hiding._

Dan trained his eyes on the ground and counted his steps in the hopes that it would distract him from the flurry of thoughts threatening to overpower him yet again.

_Don’t think about it. Stop thinking about the bar. Stop thinking about the screams, and the waiting, and the fear, and the unknown-_

_Stop it. Find a distraction._ Dan closed his eyes and breathed for a moment, still walking.

_One, two, three, four, …_

He made it to 23 before his thoughts crept back in.

_What will happen next? Will I sleep at his flat and go home in the morning? What if it’s still not safe? How will I_ know _when it’s safe?_

Dan shook his head.

_Walk to the flat._

_One, two, three, four, …_

_Scuff-click, scuff-click, scuff-click,_ … 

Phil’s footsteps echoed in Dan’s brain, and Dan shuddered.

_Get out of the open._

_Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, …_

Dan forced himself to focus on his own footsteps, since anything else would send him spiraling into a fear-induced panic again. He kept his head bent and his hands stuffed into his pockets, creating as few distractions from his count as possible. 

Within a few short strides, he was so engaged in counting his steps that he almost didn’t realize that Phil had stopped walking.

“We’re here,” Phil muttered, pulling out a key from his pocket. 

Dan jumped, then turned to his right to see the building Phil had led him to.

In the darkness of the night, it was hard to see much of the architecture, but Dan could tell that the building was worn and run-down. The brick seemed to be crumbling in more places than not, and the windows above were cracked. 

Despite its uninviting exterior, Dan found himself itching to get inside.

Inside would be hidden, private, and maybe even _safe_ \- at least for a short time.

Phil unlocked the door, then stepped aside, gesturing for Dan to enter.

“Go on,” Phil whispered tiredly. “We can talk inside.”

Dan swallowed heavily, hesitating. He still wasn’t sure he could trust Phil.

_Go inside. Get out of the open. You don’t know what he might do to you, but he’s taken you this far. You have to trust him._

With one last glance up and down the street, Dan nodded once to himself in determination, then carefully stepped past Phil and into the flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also post to my Tumblr! See the rest of my fics [here](https://rosaflagephil.tumblr.com/fics-masterlist)

**Author's Note:**

> I also post to my Tumblr! See the rest of my fics [here](https://whiskersandquiff.tumblr.com/fics-masterlist)


End file.
